Posted online: May 30th, 2007

Foyle Punt Association, since its formation less than a year ago, has done wonders to reclaim the Greencastle and Moville area’s rowing heritage in a short space of time.
Though there was once a proud racing tradition in the area, with Moville laying claim to having one of the oldest Regattas in Ireland, over the years that interest had dwindled.
But a major resurgence in racing what is known as the ‘Foyle class punt’, a vessel built to a very specific design and ususally housing three oarsmen, is currently taking place.
The re-awakening began in the early nineties, when the tragic death of local seaman James Kelly led to the creation of a charity race in his memory.
The event was a tremendous success, amd so began the domino effect that, 15 years on, shows no signs of stopping.
Carnagarve man Robert Kelly and a group of like-minded individuals got together last June and decided there was now enough interest to form the Foyle punt association.
“For one reason or another,” says chairman Robert, “the rowing scene in the area had died a death.
“We thought it was a great shame that the wonderful setting we have here was not being used to its full potential.
“There had been a steady decline in the building of new boats, when really it should have been the opposite.
“But gradually, people have started to get into it again. “Ever since James Kelly’s memorial race, there has been a gradual build-up of interest, and we’re delighted that this age-old tradition is finally been restored.”
Since June, this organistaion of passionate enthusiasts has gone from strength to strength.
Membership has risen from 18 to 67; two brand new boats have been built and several others are in the process of being restored; and once again the races that were an integral part of the area’s cultural past are back in place.
“The Moville regatta was a great success last summer,” says Robert, “and we also sent five crews up to the Culmore one later on in the year.
“There’s been a fantastic response from the local community. People of all ages have expressed an interest, and just from a pure enjoyment point of view there’s no better pastime.
“I’ve been a keen rower for nearly 15 years. It’s very relaxing to be out on the Foyle on a lovely summer’s day, and to have a pull of the oars for even 10 or 15 minutes is a great feeling.”
Much of the rejuvenation is thanks to grants from Inishowen Rural Development Ltd (IRDL), who have funded a project saving seven old punts from the scrapheap.
And the wider community is also being pulled in to this thriving scene. “Anthony Doogan, the head teacher at Moville Community College, is very keen on gettting the pupils involved in water sports,” says Robert.
“The aim is to get young people in the area back on the water, and at the minute there are transitional year pupils from the college who are coming along for supervised workshops where they learn about boat maintainance and everything related to rowing.
“They’re going to paint one of the bigger punts – a four seater – and it will be theirs to use at the end of it all.”
Robert is hoping the association can branch out further by hooking up with other orgaisations so that a whole variety of water sports – rowing, kayaking, water-skiing – can become a permanent part of the already eyecatching vista that is Lough Foyle.
Unfortunately, their ambitious plans have currently hit a major snag after planning permission to erect a temporary boatshed on Moville Green was turned down.
“We couldn’t believe it,” says Robert. “The first planning officer that came out from the Carndonagh office said he saw no problems, and for the next 10 weeks all our plans were geared towards that.
“But before planning permission was officially granted that officer was shifted to another area and his replacement turned us down on the grounds that the height of the structure would be detrimental to the view out to Lough Foyle.”
The boatshed is necessary in order to shelter their six punts from the elements, and also to protect them from vandalism.
“We wanted to put the new shed alongside the old one, which is less than useless,” says Robert. “It’s nothing but a shell.
“And the best about it is that there wasn’t a single objection from the local community. The shed was to be built within an existing walled area and the project is part of the overall development plan for Moville Green.”
But all is far from lost. Two planning officers are due to visit the site this week, and with a little bit of compromise from both sides, the construction of the boatshed will hopefully be back on track.
“We’re more than willing to compromise,” says Robert, “and once the planners tell us what they are willing to accept we will redraw our plans accordingly.
“What’s frustrating is the fact that we won’t have the shed built in time for our regatta in August.
“At the moment we’re using a temporary container to store the boats, which is less than ideal.”
But, whatever the outcome, Robert and his friends will contine to pursue their dream, which is to see Lough Foyle enlivened by the spectacle of these unique racing vessels for many years to come.